Kilted golfers keep tradition

FRASER’S MOUNTAIN — Three of the original foursome that has championed the tradition of the Festival of the Tartans kilted golf tournament continue to revel in the event.

Bill MacCulloch, Red MacKean and Bob White have been joined in recent years by Harold MacDonnell and were among the 14 teams that played in the annual scramble at Glen Lovat Golf Club.

“We just try to keep the tradition going,” MacKean said. “The comradeship for us is important.”

MacDonnell completes the team in place of the other original member Jim Baillie, who passed away some years ago.

“It was 1973 or 1974 when the Scots started to come,” White said, referring to when the team was assembled for the kilted tournament. “Three of us have played all those years, since Harold came out and played for us.”

MacDonnell has a connection with the event besides golf. The team has had the privilege of starting from the first tee every year for keeping the team intact and for their contributions to the event, and MacDonnell would pipe them there for the shot gun start.

“I knew all the group (members) before I started playing with them, playing the pipes at the No. 1 tee,” he said.

MacCulloch said he hopes the event can continue and will once again appeal to more people than the 14 teams that played this year. He said the golf event forms part of the Scottish tradition dating from when the first Scottish settlers arrived in Pictou County.

“The history of what we’re trying to preserve is important,” he said. “That’s the challenge. It’s the challenge people had when they came here. To mark history is important.”

This year’s winner of the Lord Provost Trophy is once again the team consisting of Steve Forbes, as well as Philip McInnes, Shawn Pye and Donnie Morton.

From left: Red MacKean, Bob White, Harold MacDonnell and Bill MacCulloch stand in the glow of the sun and another round of Festival of the Tartans kilted golf. (Goodwin photo)